A/N: First, many thanks to Kispexi2 for all the wonderful help betaing this! It's a better story thanks to you! Any errors that remain are strictly mine. Second, this is my first attempt at fanfiction in any genre. It's been fun writing it, and I hope everyone enjoys reading it. Last, feedback is much appreciated!

Oh, yea, DISCLAIMER--don't own it, never did, never will, just having fun playing.

MEMORIES

In the moment between sleeping and waking, he knows he is content--more content than he has ever been--but he doesn't know why. As the shroud of sleep lifts, and he feels the warmth of another body radiating on his back and the weight of an arm across his waist, he remembers and wonders how he could ever have forgotten. In no hurry to leave the warmth of their bed, he smiles as he remembers.

He remembers the first time he saw this man who now means so much to him. As he'd watched his belongings and River's cryo-chamber being loaded on the ship, he'd wondered if he'd made the worst mistake of his life when the captain came swaggering up to his ship. In that brown duster of his, with the pistol on his hip, he'd looked like one of those disreputable outlaws portrayed in old vids from Earth-that-was. They took an immediate dislike to each other. A situation that wasn't improved when it was discovered that he was a wanted man, nor when he'd used Kaylee as a pawn in his desire to escape the Feds. It had taken him a long time to live that down, but eventually everyone had understood his reasons and forgiven him.

He remembers when River came out of her cryo-chamber too soon, and how the captain thought she'd been sold into slavery. It's funny now, but then--no, absolutely not. His sister had always been the one shining light in his life, and what the Alliance had done to her had been almost more than he could bear at times. But every time he'd been at his most despondent, the captain had been there encouraging him. Of course, sometimes that encouragement had taken on the form of shouting, but it had worke